Week of Dec 20-23

Meet Linden! She's the baby of the family.

My kitty friends are so happy to tell you that this is a shortened week. They also would like to say, Buon Natale! (Which is Italian for Merry Christmas). (The fact that my cats are multi-lingual should come as no surprise. Cortelyou often sings to himself in Spanish while taking his bath).

WELL, NOW... I gather a fair number of you, my dearly beloved Computer Apps Students, have found the last couple weeks pretty un-fun, what with the Excel spreadsheets and those dastardly Word templates, but fret not, young pups... things are looking up!

Welcome... to Power Point!

Monday
12/20
YOUR ASSIGNMENT:
Open a NEW presentation in Power Point. Save it as 1220-your-name (for instance: 1220-ms-luzzi)
The lessons you will be using are all online. The links for them are below.
Please read lesson 2 and complete the challenge
Please read lesson 3 and complete the challenge
Please read lesson 4 and complete the challenge
Please perform all of the challenges in the same presentation and email that presentation to me at: sluzzi@uaagl.org


Tuesday
12/21
If you want, you can use the same power point file you made yesterday to do today's assignment.
Please read lesson 5 and complete the challenge
Please read lesson 6 and complete the challenge
Please read lesson 7 and complete the challenge
skip #8
Please read lesson 9 and complete the challenge
Please attach the Power Point file (ALL CHALLENGES IN ONE FILE) to an email and send it to me TODAY!!!

Wednesday
12/22

If you want to continue with the power point from yesterday you may... or you can start with a fresh one.

Please read lesson 10 and complete the challenge.

Please read lesson 11 and complete the challenge.

skip 12 & 13

Please read lesson 14 and complete the challenge.

Please read lesson 15 and complete the challenge.

Thursday
12/23

FUN DAY!!! ENJOY YOUR BREAK!!!

Week of Dec 13-17

Dudes... You can't hide from the fact that we're almost half way through the marking period.

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Happy MONDAY!!!
December 13, 2010

I don't know about you, but I've been so busy that I haven't given a single thought to my Christmas shopping. SOOOOOO... I sat down with my cat, Cortelyou, and we talked it over. He had a lot of great suggestions for our family and friends.

Together we made an Excel spreadsheet to help us get organized and make the shopping that much easier! Giving gifts feels great and we don't want to miss out on the smiles on the faces of the cats and the people we love!

Excel has an easy to use template for organizing our gift giving experience!
Check it out:

Open a NEW Excel Workbook and look for the PLANNERS templates.

Look for the Christmas Present Planner

Fill in the fields. Notice that Excel will do the math for you... It shows you how much you'll spend.Chances are you're not planning to buy gifts this year or you don't celebrate Christmas. In either case, you have 2 options: A) Just make it up or B) Try out a different Planner Template.

ASSIGNMENT:

• Fill in the template (using real or made-up people and gifts). Use at least 3 people for each category (you do not need to fill in the "email" columns).
• Print out your completed work and hand it in with your name on it.
• After finishing, for about 10-15 minutes, experiment with Excel. Try designing a chert similar to the one you just filled out. Can you change colors? Draw borders? You will not hand this in. Just see what you can do... we will go further tomorrow in designing a spread sheet together.

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Tuesday
December 14
***Special note for 1st period. PLEASE COMPLETE YOUR NEWSLETTER PROJECT FROM LAST WEEK. WE WILL RETURN TO EXCEL TOMORROW!



Today's Assignment
Spreadsheet (information design): How much am I really spending each week?
Today you will gather information about the expenses you incur throughout the day, the week, and the month, and organize that information on a spreadsheet. You may be surprised by what you learn about your own spending habits.

Information you must include:

• Your name and class period
• A title for your spreadsheet
• The days of the week
• The categories of your expenses (such as food, clothes, books, music, etc.)
• The amounts you spend per item, per day

Functions your spreadsheet must perform:

• Addition of each day's expenses
• A weekly total
• A monthly total
  

You need to know how to:

• Fill in cells
• Change colors of cells, rows, columns
• Add and delete cells, rows, and columns
• Embed mathematical functions **(We have not done much of this yet, so you are advised to pay close attention to this part in class!)
  

**********************************************************************
Wednesday
December 15

Happy Wednesday:
Today's a great day for housekeeping!
Have you turned in all the work you should have? Have you taken all the quizzes? Do you know where all your files are??? I will be turning in your 5-week progress report grades THIS WEEKEND.
If you have a 55 in this class you can expect a call home by the end of next week.

Today's Assignment:
If you have not completed yesterday's spreadsheet, please do so. Once it is finished, print it out and turn it in.
AFTER THAT...
Go on, kid... get a job!
Today we will construct a resume using a template in MS Word.
A resume is a sort of list that gives people information about your educational and work experience.
You already know how to access the templates in Word. If you can't quite remember, look here and here.
Look in the template menu for the heading resumes and CVs (A CV is essentially the same thing as a resume). There are 3 sub-categories. Choosing BASIC RESUMES is probably the best choice at this point, though you are welcome to explore the other two categories. SELECT ANY RESUME WHOSE STYLE YOU LIKE. Keep in mind, you have WAY MORE educational experience than work experience so you should probably choose one that lists education on top.

BE CREATIVE WITH THIS... No one with a job tells the whole truth on their resume.I'm not saying you should lie... I'm just saying: make the truth sound a little better than it is.

Thursday
December 16
Today is another GREAT day to catch up on any work you've missed.
Have you turned in all the assignments listed in this blog?
Have you taken all 3 quizzes?
Are you unsure about either of those questions?
Yesterday you began to put together a resume. Some of you even printed it out and turned it in... but you're not really finished yet.
PAIR UP with a partner. Exchange and read each others' resumes.
Look for typos. Look for errors. Look for areas where you could fluff up those resumes to make them sound more professional.
We will have a class discussion about 15 minutes into the period on what makes a good resume... and what makes the kind of resume an employer will toss in the trash.

Friday
December 17
HEY PERIOD ONE COMPUTER APPS... Remember when I kept forgetting to give you time to finish those NEWSLETTERS??? Well, today's, the day... here's that assignment again.
Have at it:

Let's make a cool newsletter, dudes!
You can choose any template from the template options in Word... then you just replace the text from the template with your own text.
A newsletter is a lot like a blog, except it's printed out and intended for a more limited audience.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT: Today and tomorrow, find out some Winter Fun events in either your neighborhood, the school's neighborhood, within the AGL community, or just around the city.

1. Open a Newsletter Template in Ms Word
2. Go to the internet and search for wintertime events in the city.
3. Go back to your newsletter template and make a title like: Winter Fun or Snow Days, or something wintry like that.
4. Write an introductory paragraph.
5. Cut and paste events you've found from the internet into your newsletter. It only needs to be one page, but you must include at least 3 winter events (with their dates and times).
6. You must include at least one winter or holiday illustration or photo.
7. The events in your flyer must be real.
8. Some resources to try for finding events:

NYPL
BPL
QPL
Prospect Park
Central Park

YOU MUST TURN IN A COMPLETED NEWSLETTER THAT MEETS ALL THE SPECIFICATIONS INDICATED HERE BY THE END OF CLASS ON FRIDAY (OR MONDAY IF YOU'RE IN 1ST PER. COMP. APS.).

Newsletters: What's the Point???
Ms Luzzi, why are we making newsletters? and... What is a newsletter, anyway? Wikipedia says: newsletters are published by clubs, churches, societies, associations, and businesses, especially companies, to provide information of interest to their members, customers or employees.

A newsletter is a type of publication, often printed, but just as often published online. For more about what a newsletter is, read the assignment intro from yesterday.

And as for WHY we are doing this, by doing this project you will:

• Impove your research skills
• Become more facile in MS Word
• Understand how to use a template
• Learn some interesting goings-on in the city this winter

Here is an example of a one-page newsletter:

Week of Dec 6- 10

Monday, December 6, 2010

Happy Monday!
Using MS Word for basic graphic design. Today you'll use Word to make an advertising flyer.
STEP 1: Go into your Microsoft Office folder.
STEP 2: Open Word
STEP 3: Open a new blank document.
STEP 5: Design a flyer which includes the following information:
Art Club
Room 313
Thursdays
3:45pm
It should also include a page boarder, a picture that's appropriate to the subject, and should use at least 2 different fonts.
STEP 6: You can add any other information you think is important, for instance: Art Club is Totally Awesome! or Art Club is for EVERYONE! or Art Club is Open to All!
STEP 7: Show it to a classmate to get their opinion.
STEP 8: If you don't need to make any changes, print it!
homework!!!: Come up with your own flyer info for tomorrow. You'll make a flyer for your own club, cause, or something you think others need to know about.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Make your flyer from the content you came up with for homework.
Last night for home work you should have come up with an idea for a flyer on your own topic. It should include any important information that people need to know about your group or cause.

Check out the flyer templates that are available in MS Word when you choose to create a NEW document.Try working with the shapes Word allows you to draw. These can be really useful when designing a flyer...
Try using clip art, too. This can be a fun addition to your design!

***One Big Question About Making a Flyer...
How Can I Get People to NOTICE MY MESSAGE!!??***

Quiz Prep! Do you remember all the steps to make a chart? Try making a simple chart in the last 15 minutes of class to be sure you're prepared for the quiz.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

HAPPY QUIZ DAY, EVERYBODY!
Quiz on MS Excel. Do you know how to make a chart?
The Quiz is located at msluzzi.wordpress.com

Then...
Dun-duh-duh-daaaaaa.... Let's make a cool newsletter, dudes!
You can choose any template from the template options in Word... then you just replace the text from the template with your own text.
A newsletter is a lot like a blog, except it's printed out and intended for a more limited audience.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT: Today and tomorrow, find out some Winter Fun events in either your neighborhood, the school's neighborhood, within the AGL community, or just around the city.

1. Open a Newsletter Template in Ms Word
2. Go to the internet and search for wintertime events in the city.
3. Go back to your newsletter template and make a title like: Winter Fun or Snow Days, or something wintry like that.
4. Write an introductory paragraph.
5. Cut and paste events you've found from the internet into your newsletter. It only needs to be one page, but you must include at least 3 winter events (with their dates and times).
6. You must include at least one winter or holiday illustration or photo.
7. The events in your flyer must be real.
8. Some resources to try for finding events:

NYPL
BPL
QPL
Prospect Park
Central Park

YOU MUST TURN IN A COMPLETED NEWSLETTER THAT MEETS ALL THE SPECIFICATIONS INDICATED HERE BY THE END OF CLASS ON FRIDAY (OR MONDAY IF YOU'RE IN 1ST PER. COMP. APS.).

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Newsletters: What's the Point???
Ms Luzzi, why are we making newsletters? and... What is a newsletter, anyway? Wikipedia says: newsletters are published by clubs, churches, societies, associations, and businesses, especially companies, to provide information of interest to their members, customers or employees.

A newsletter is a type of publication, often printed, but just as often published online. For more about what a newsletter is, read the assignment intro from yesterday.

And as for WHY we are doing this, by doing this project you will:

• Impove your research skills
• Become more facile in MS Word
• Understand how to use a template
• Learn some interesting goings-on in the city this winter

Here is an example of a one-page newsletter:




Friday, December 10, 2010
Work Period: Newsletters

week of Nov. 29 - Dec. 3

Welcome back from Turkey Break!

This week we will begin working with MS Excel.

This post will be updated during the week, so check back here from time to time for more details.

MONDAY'S HOMEWORK:
Design a simple survey to conduct among your friends and family to do your first MS Excel Chart!
(More details on how to do this will be given in class today)

TUESDAY - NOVEMBER 30
Yesterday you saw how we can turn simple data into an interesting and attractive graph. For homework you cam up with a survey question and should have begun collecting data. Today we will look at a couple of ways to organize the data you're collecting to prepare for entry into Excel.

We will also have an opportunity to interview one another for our surveys.

WEDNESDAY - DECEMBER 1
Catching up and regrouping

THURSDAY - DECEMBER 2
WE NEED TO HAVE A LITTLE TALK... The computers have all been repaired, but there are some important changes.

***Period 6 and 7***
data entry (type your survey data into an Excel spreadsheet and create a graph from your data.
Copy/ paste your graph into an MS Word document.
Type your name and class period under the graph and print it. Give me the print-outs.

When you have finished, please make sure you have completed 2 blog posts this week. I will be checking over the weekend.

Is there anything else you need to catch up on?

Next week we'll being to look at some more elements of the MS Office Suite.
extra: some fun things you can do with Excel...
Try clicking HERE to create a piece of Excel artwork! You download the spirograph spreadsheet, then change the numbers to design a unique work of art!
Click HERE if you're a little more advanced in Excel.
Check out some more ART made in MS Excel!
And... by the way... my 1st period class may remember a conversation we had about learning game design. Did you know you could make GAMES in Excel???

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TGIF! - December 3
Period 1 - Lucky you, it's Week A and you have a full hour of fun with MS LUZZI!!! OMG, You are SO LUCKY!
By the way, by now your blog posts should be as awesome as mine. No lie.
Anyway...
Today, let's continue/ conclude the joy we've been cultivating through MS Excel.

• Try THIS lesson to learn a few more things about making a chart in Excel.
• Want to review the basics? Try THIS.
• More about formatting and the math Excel can do? Click HERE.
• Wanna know what I had for dinner last night?
• Wanna try a cool challenge (and listen to lame Goth music at the same time)? Click HERE and see how to make cool (but simple) art in Excel! The person who developed this lesson uses the Google logo, but any image could be used for a template here.
• Want to learn everything you ever need to know about Excel. HERE is a suite of lessons.

LEARN. EXPLORE. HAVE FUN!

THIS WEEK:
Please write 2 blog posts... free-write. any topic. I will check these over the next weekend.

Quiz Comments!!!

Please put your quiz comments here!

You are done with your test!!!

This is how we add photos

This is a blog post that I will add a photo to.

Period 1; Week of Nov. 22- Nov. 24

Dear Period 1 Students,
Some of your blog URLs don't seem to be working. Please check in with me to make sure I have the correct URL for your blog.
Thanks,
Ms L.

Period 1, 6 & 7; Week of Nov. 22- Nov. 24

Computer Apps:

Here are your assignments for the week. As usual, at the beginning of each class there will be a little review, a short lesson, and maybe some notes, but here you can see what you will have to be able to do.
REMEMBER: This is the 2nd week of the second marking period. The semester's end will come sooner than you think!

Monday, 22:
Today we will learn to add some media to our blog posts.

TODAY'S ASSIGNMENT

Create a new post which includes a photograph.

Tuesday, 24:
Review for Quiz!!!

TODAY'S ASSIGNMENT
Make sure you are able to do everything that will be required for the quiz. Practice making links, using comment features and tagging your posts. You may Tag and Link in posts you have already written by using the EDIT POST option in your Dashboard. Make sure your blog is functioning normally, that you KNOW your user name and password, and that Ms Luzzi has your URL address!


Wednesday, 25:
Quiz Day!

TODAY'S ASSIGNMENT
We will have a quiz in class. Following the quiz, catch up on reading your favorite blogs or doing some work on your own.

This is the last day that we will be focusing on blogging in class. You will be required to maintain your blog, adding 2 posts a week, for the duration of the semester, however, our in-class work together will be focused on MS Office programs beginning next week.

HAVE A GREAT THANKSGIVING!!!

responding and linking

I just read this and it was great.

responding and linking

I think this blog is awesome.

Period 7: URLs for your classmate's blogs

http://mysportz101.blogspot.com/
http://iiyee95.blogspot.com/
http://hillary-hills.tumblr.com
http://bloggeredtodeath.blogspot.com/
http://girlstalkaboutyou.blogspot.com/
http://stevenjaii.blogspot.com/
http://2faancymarie.tumblr.com/
http://max195.blogspot.com/
http://achmedthegreat.blogspot.com/
http://ohwell22-whatalife.blogspot.com/
http://divayoung.blogspot.com/
http://astoldbynika.tumblr.com/
http://gorgeousquaa.tumblr.com/
http://jessayka.blogspot.com/
http://mike17360.blogspot.com/
http://aysiatho-.tumblr.com/
http://tashyangel.blogspot.com/

You should see your blog on this list... if you don't, you are missing credit for a major assignment. Get on it!

If you created a blog in tumblr, I'd like to try again to make you a blogspot account this week! I am having serious problems getting tumblr to load consistently.

Period 6: URLs for your classmate's blogs

http://yawelkysfashionblogg.blogspot.com/
http://fahsionmuchx3.blogspot.com/
http://moviezallthetime.blogspot.com/
http://amzinqhunniex33.blogspot.com/
http://alesiaiiabusiverelationships.blogspot.com/
http://soloridatricia.blogspot.com/
http://kingofking77.blogspot.com/
http://crimesinamerica.blogspot.com/
http://andrewandnba.blogspot.com/
http://harlemm.blogspot.com/
http://sasha96.blogspot.com/
http://eli-schoolislame.blogspot.com/
http://missbossymistyx3.blogspot.com/
http://crystalrsblog.blogspot.com/
http://stupidassclass.blogspot.com/


If your blog is not listed here then you are missing a major assignment grade... let's get that fixed up today!

Period 6 & 7; Week of Nov. 15- Nov. 19

Computer Apps:

Here are your assignments for the week. As usual, at the beginning of each class there will be a little review, a short lesson, and maybe some notes, but here you can see what you will have to be able to do.
REMEMBER: This is the 1st week of the second marking period. The semester's end will come sooner than you think!

Monday, 15:

Today we will talk more about using comments and how to make your blog a forum for conversation. We will discuss comment etiquette. You will be reading and commenting on each other's work.

TODAY'S ASSIGNMENT

You will give your URL to someone in class and get their URL from them. You will read each other's blog posts and use the comment function to make a comment. Your comment must be no less than 5 complete sentences and must follow the comment etiquette we discuss in class. It is expected that you will also reply to comments you receive. Replies may be done at home if there is no class time to do it.

*** Due to today's Town Hall, the discussion may be moved to tomorrow, and this assignment may have to be done this week as homework, in which case it will be due on Wednesday.***

Tuesday, 16:

You will look for 3 blogs with similar themes to your own today (not written by classmates) and comment on at least one post.

TODAY'S ASSIGNMENT

We will cover in class some search techniques. You will use them to find 3 blogs that are thematically related to your own. You will chose one to add a comment to. *Please email me the URL of the blog post you commented on.*

Wednesday, 17:

You will write a post in your blog and link to the blog that you found and commented on yesterday. The post you write today should reflect on the post you read yesterday.

TODAY'S ASSIGNMENT

In class we will review how to create links in a blog post. You will write a blog post that refers to the post you read yesterday and create a link to it so that others who read your blog will also be able to read what you read.

Thursday, 18:

You will see how tags help in a blog search. Homework (Due Monday) will be to write a post in your blog that includes at least 3 tags and at least 2 links.

TODAY'S ASSIGNMENT

We will continue to look at search techniques today. You will write a post DUE MONDAY with will include at least 3 tags to make it easier to find in a search. It will also refer to at least 2 outside sources and therefore include at least 2 links.

Friday, 19 (Period 1 only; Periods 6&7 will have a workshop next Friday):

Workshop Day! You will work in pairs to edit the posts you've written so far.

Dear Computer Apps Students:

It has been a long time since room 106 was my classroom. In fact, that school doesn't even exist anymore. It still matters, though. A lot of important things happened to me during the time that I taught in room 106. I made great friends, did fun projects with my students, and made some pretty stupid mistakes (which is an important part of learning, of course!).

In this lesson, we will be considering the conversational element of blogging. A blog post should invite your audience to participate... to be part of the conversation. I just read a great blog post about how to do this.

The post suggests using links, tags, and comments to keep the exchange dynamic. What I have done in the previous paragraph is created a link.

Blogger allows a place for labels. These are also called tags. Tags on your blog will help people find it in a search.

We'll see about comments shortly.